Forming and finishing fabrics coated with zylonite or similar pyroxyline compounds for



.beeilo'f limited utilityand UNITED STATES PATE T ()FFICE.

JARVIS B. Enso v, OF ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTSQ' FDRMING AND FINISHING'FABRICS COATED WITH ZYLONITE R SIMILAR PYROXYLINE COMPOUNDS FOR I COLLARS AND CUFFSAND OTHER ARTICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,242, dated November 27, 1883.

Application filed August flii, 1883. (No specimens.)

To all whom z't may concern 1% it known that I, Jmws B. EDSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Adams, in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Forming'and Finishing Fab rics Goatedwith Zylonite or Similar Pyroxyline Compounds for Collars and Cuffs and other Articles, of which the following is 'a specification.

H-This invention relates to that class of manu- 'i'actures .in whichthe fabric is specially intended to be made into collars and 'cufi's'by -means of any of the welHinown machinery for punching, creasing, and folding such articles and simultaneously producing an indentation about the same to represent the stitching common in'linen goods-of similar shape. All

, of these operations are practiced in the pro duction of and will be recognized in the ordinary paper collars and cuffs of commerce, and

required upon them.

for punching, creasing,

ing .to complete the manufacture of the articles, and without the aid of any hand-labor.

the articles so made have met with great favor owing to their cheaphess, while they have beena source of profitto their manufacturers, due to thealmost infinitesimal amount of labor This minimum of labor has been attained almost wholly by so completely finishing the stock or fabric during-its manuiaeturethat nothing should remain-but the employment of rapidly-moving machines indenting, and fold-' beyond that required for counting and packing; but, notwithstandingthe perfection to v which. the art has been brought, it has steadily failed in those qualitiesrequired to enable the article to withstand the moisture of perspiration of 'the body of the'weareror to permit,

of its being cleaned, and has consequently durability. Many attempts havetherefore paper with muslin o'r linen by combining. them Withp'aste, and sometimes by afterward treating such muslin-surface with asolutiohhav- 7 ing a base. of .pyroxyline-of the nature of a p collodion, and

Scraping off the surplus material; ,butin all of these no satisfactory, durag ble-water-proof surface, having the color, polsubstitute for linen.

been made to pro- .material'to meet ing an interlining with turned-over edges of muslin, and then cementing to one of its sides a sheet of zylonite or similar pyroxyline compound sufliciently larger than said inter lining to admit of turning over and cementing down such excess of contour onto the opposite side, pressing, drying, and afterward applying another sheet-blankof zylonite or similar pyroxyline compound of slightly larger contour to theopposite side from the first and cementing it thereto, pressing it against or between layers of muslin to give an approximate or reverse linen surface," and afterward trimming the edges and polishing to finish,

but resulting only in a too expensive article for the masses of those likely to resort to a Other attempts have also been made by punching the article outof thick sheets of solid zylonite or similar pyroxylinecompounds; but they too have resulted in articles too expensive byreason of the quantity of the zylonite, andobjectiona= ble by being'to stiff and unyielding and] tearing at the button-holes, and from other causes;

and it has therefore been with a view to meet these various difii'cultics that Ihave experimented and endeavored for some years to produce a superior and waterproof-surfaced arti cle to :the paper or paper-muslin collar and cufiheretofore made, which could be so cheaply made by machinery as to be within the means of the masses, and all of which I-will now proceed todeScribe. I

Theproces's consists, first, in forming a suit able-base to give the requisite body and strength; second, ii -applying to oneior both sides of the base a'thin sheet of zylonite or its equivalent and finishing; and, third, punching, creasing, indenting, and folding the de sired article from the same. I v

Owing to the fact that a collaror cuff to reness as well as stiffness in rderto usethe thinnest sheet of the zylonitepossible, on account of its costliness,jconsistent witha proper of white and 93 tain its-strength must possess acertain thickf surface,'I manufacture Whatl term a base, by first making a strong quality suitably thick paper in long lengths, after which I combine with a paste to one or both of its sides a competent quality of muslin, and then dry and calender the combination, so as to produce a smooth, strong, and stiff fabric, taking special care to remove by scraping and brushing such of the combining paste as has worked through to the outer surface-of the muslin. w 1

It is not absolutely necessary that the paper shall be made first as'a-se'parate operation, as I have obtained good results by passing the muslin through a paper-pulping machine, depositing the pulp thereon,and making the pa-. per directly upon and in combination with the muslin fabric, andwhile I prefer the former process of making the base-that is, making the paper first as a separate step-I do not limit myself thereto, but reserve the right to use either method, or to substitute for both a strong paper, having mixed with it during its nearly'completed state an additional long fiber, which shall'diffe'r in length from that of which the bulk of the paper has been made, and produce a base of sufficiently strong texture and thickness as to entirely avoid the necessity of combination with any muslin at all.

Having thus constructed a paper base, I take thesaid base and a roll of sheet-zylonite, or similar pyroxyline compoundin sheetform, cut, say,

four one-thousandths of aninch thick, and pass both through mechanismfor instance, such as described by me in 'my application for patentfiledApril 28,1883,and entitled improve 'ments in forming and finishing surfaces coated with zylonite, &c. sui.table for properly softening the combining side of the zylonite-by ap plying thereto a solventthereof, and for at taching it to the said base by the aid of pressure, which pressure so embeds the zylonite into the interstices of the muslin (assuming the base to be muslin) as to produce a surface quite equal inappearance to that of the muslin. The

zylonite and base, when so treated and dried, form a new fabric-say about seventeen onethousandths of an inch thick-possessing superiorityover similar fabric heretofore produced as to stiffness, durability, strength, and muslin-like surface, and supplying a fabric long sought, whieh, while possessing the,abo ve desirable qualities, also. ad mits of being worked up into various collars and cuffs by the machinery-now employed on paper goods without any modification or special requirements for heating or molding the same whatever, which 001- lars and cuffs cannot be softened or caused to wilt by the moisture or perspiration of the body, even in'the hottest weather, and which when slightly soiled on their zylonite surface can be easily sponged off with soap and water, so as to present the same appearance as a new article.

Then, as in some form of goods, it is de- ,sirable to cover both surfaces of the base with the zylonite, or its equivalent, I either '7 make-the base with the muslin applied to both sides of the paper or to one side only, the

difference being that when both sides of the base have zylonite surfaces, while the base itself has only one surface of muslin, there. will result a fabric in which the muslin-like surface to the'zylonite only obtains on one side, so that, as in a standing-collar, for instance, one side only will appear like muslin, while the remaining side, which would be next to the wearer,will be smooth. Vhen, however, it is desirable to use a base having one muslin side and one paper side, and to cover both sides of the base with the zylonite and still show a muslin surface on both sides, then by passing the fabric through an engraved roll or fair representation of the muslin surface desired. The last method is necessary in constructing a fabric with one layer of paper and one of muslin, out of which it is desired to make a cheaper grade of reversible zylonitecoated turn-down collar having a correct linen against a roll covered with muslin, I obtain a impress 011 one side and an imitation linen surface on the other.

The third operation consists in taking any of the fabrics described-say in rolls of a hundred yards or more, and of, say," thirty-six inchesin width-and feeding thesamethrough the ordinary machinery, the same as now used for making collars and, cuffs from paper, whether done in stagesor at one complete operation, as by some of the mechanisms now in use. 'After the article has been thus formed, nothing requires to be done but to pass the blank through the rolling-machine exactly the same as now practiced in treating paper-stock for the manufacture of similar articles, unaided by any extra heating or manipulation, cementing, polishing, or other treatment, and producing with great rapidity perfect results, notwithstanding the faet that ordinarily such plastic substance cannot be permanently bent and shaped and set without breaking or causing injury to the same, unless they be heated or-rendered plastic and then cooled in such new form.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1.' The withindescribed process of producing a fabric from which collars and cuffs and other articles may be formed, consisting in forming a. base by combining paper and a textile fabric, and then softening the contact side of a sheet of zylonite, or its equivalent, and uniting it to the base by pressure, substantiallyas described.

2. The within-described process of producing a fabric from which collars and cuffs and other articles may be formed, consisting in forming a base by combining paper and a textile fabric, and then softening the contact side of a sheet of zylonite, or its equivalent, and

.uniting it to the base by pressure and indent- 3. The within-described process of producing a fabric from which collars and cuffs and other articles may be formed, consisting in' forming a base by combining paper and a textile fabric, then softening the'conta-ct side of a sheet of zyloni te, or its equivalent, and by pressure uniting a sheet thereof to each side of the base, indenting one sheet of the zylon itewith the textile fabric of the base, and the other sheet to imitate muslin or linen, substantially as described. i

4. As a new article of manufacture, a fabric from which collars and cuffs and other articles may be made, composed of a paper base with a thin sheetof zylonite, or-its equivalent, se 1, cured to its side by a solvent of the zylonite,

substantially as described.

5. As a new article of manufacture, afabric from which collars and cuffs and other articles may be made, composed of a base of paper and a textile fabric with a thin sheet of zylonite, or

its equivalent, cemented to one or both sides I thereof, with a solvent of the zylonite interposed between it and the base, substantially as described. 7

'6. As anew article of manufacture, :a collar, cuff, or other article of like character composed of a base of paper and a textile fabric with a thin sheet of zylonite, or its equivalent,

Ventof the zylonite interposed between it and r the base, and having one or both sides indented to imitate linen or muslin, substantially as described. V In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. r

. a JARVIS B. ED SON.

lVitnesses: p

STEPHEN THAYER, E. H. Almond cemented to one or both sides thereof by a sol- 

